Integrated pcv oil separator and oil fill tube

ABSTRACT

An engine assembly includes an engine structure including an engine block defining a combustion chamber and a crankcase, and a cylinder head mounted to the engine block. An oil fill tube is connected to the engine structure. A separator assembly includes a separator chamber having a positive crankcase ventilation tube inlet connected to a positive crankcase ventilation passage and having a positive crankcase ventilation tube outlet. The separator chamber includes an internal baffle and a check valve in a bottom of the separator chamber in communication with a drain chamber, the drain chamber being in communication with the oil fill tube.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an oil fill tube for an internal combustion engine and more particularly to an oil fill tube with an integrated positive crankcase ventilation oil separator.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

During engine operation, combustion gas may leak between the cylinder and the corresponding piston rings, and into the engine crankcase. The blow by gas typically includes intake air, unburned fuel, exhaust gas, oil mist, and water vapor. In an effort to ventilate the crankcase and re-circulate the blow by gas to the intake side of the engine, a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system may be used. It is an object of the present disclosure to prevent the loss of engine oil through the engine's positive crankcase ventilation system on vehicles subjected to aggressive maneuvers or racing conditions.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

An engine assembly includes an engine structure including an engine block defining a combustion chamber and a crankcase, and a cylinder head mounted to the engine block. An oil fill tube is connected to the engine structure. A separator assembly includes a separator chamber having a positive crankcase ventilation tube inlet connected to a positive crankcase ventilation passage and having a positive crankcase ventilation tube outlet. The separator chamber includes an internal baffle and a check valve in a bottom of the separator chamber in communication with a drain chamber, the drain chamber being in communication with the oil fill tube.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an engine assembly having an oil fill tube with an integrated positive crankcase ventilation oil separator according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an oil fill tube with an integrated positive crankcase ventilation oil separator; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the oil fill tube with an integrated positive crankcase ventilation oil separator.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

An engine assembly 10 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 and may include an engine structure 11 defined by an engine block 12 and a cylinder head 14. An oil pan 16 is connected to the engine block 12 and an engine cylinder head cover assembly 18 is connected to the cylinder head 14. A crankshaft 20 is disposed in the engine block 12 and is connected to a plurality of pistons 22 that are disposed within corresponding cylinders 24 the engine block 12. The cylinder head 14 is provided with an air intake passage 26 and an air exhaust passage 28 that each communicate with the cylinders 24. An air intake valve 30 and an exhaust valve 32 are provided in the intake and exhaust passages 26, 28, respectively. A spark plug 34 is also supported by the cylinder head 14 for igniting the air/fuel mixture that is introduced to the cylinder 24. It is understood that the present teachings apply to any number of piston-cylinder arrangements and a variety of engine configurations including, but not limited to, V-engines, in-line engines and horizontally opposed engines, as well as both overhead cam and cam-in-block configurations.

The intake passage 26 is in communication with a fresh air supply (A) through an air intake system 40 that can include an air filter 42. A throttle valve 44 can control the passage of intake air to a manifold 46.

An oil fill tube 50 is provided in communication with the engine structure 11. The oil fill tube 50 can be provided with a cap 52. A positive crankcase ventilation passage 54 is provided in communication with the crankcase 38. The positive crankcase ventilation passage 54 is connected to a positive crankcase ventilation oil separator 56, as best illustrated in FIG. 3. The positive crankcase ventilation oil separator 56 includes a separator chamber 58 and a drain chamber 60. The separator chamber 58 has a positive crankcase ventilation tube inlet 62 connected to the positive crankcase ventilation passage 54 and having a positive crankcase ventilation tube outlet 64 that can be connected to a passage 66 that can be connected to the intake manifold 46 or alternatively to other portions of the intake passage 40. The separator chamber 58 includes an internal baffle 68 that can be in the form of one or more walls. The separator chamber 58 is in communication with the drain chamber 60. A check valve 70 is disposed between the separator chamber 58 and the drain chamber 60. The drain chamber 60 is in communication with the oil fill tube 50 so that oil separated by the baffle 68 drains through the check valve 70 into the drain chamber 60 and into the oil fill tube 50.

The integrated oil separator and oil fill tube assembly 56 allows the positive crankcase ventilation gas to flow through the device and separate entrained oil from the line to prevent oil losses into the induction system and drain the separated oil back to the engine 10 while preventing the flow of gases and/or pressure from the crankcase that may influence the existing PCV circuit.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. 

1. An engine assembly comprising: an engine structure including an engine block defining a combustion chamber and a crankcase, and a cylinder head mounted to the engine block; an oil fill tube connected to the engine structure, the oil fill tube having an open end that is covered with a removable cap, the removable cap being removed from the oil fill tube to allow oil to be introduced into the engine; a separator assembly having a separator chamber and a drain chamber, the separator chamber having a positive crankcase ventilation tube inlet connected to a positive crankcase ventilation passage and having a positive crankcase ventilation tube outlet, the separator chamber having an internal baffle and separator chamber in communication with the drain chamber, the drain chamber being in direct communication with the oil fill tube.
 2. The engine assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a check valve in a bottom of the separator chamber and in communication with the drain chamber.
 3. An oil fill tube and positive crankcase ventilation oil separator assembly, comprising: an oil fill tube adapted to be connected to an engine structure, the oil fill tube having an open end that is covered with a removable cap, the removable cap being removed from the oil fill tube to allow oil to be introduced into the engine; a separator assembly having a separator chamber and a drain chamber, the separator chamber having a positive crankcase ventilation tube inlet adapted to be connected to a positive crankcase ventilation passage and having a positive crankcase ventilation tube outlet, the separator chamber having an internal baffle and separator chamber in communication with the drain chamber, the drain chamber being in direct communication with the oil fill tube.
 4. The oil fill tube and positive crankcase ventilation oil separator assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a check valve in a bottom of the separator chamber and in communication with the drain chamber.
 5. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the separator assembly is mounted to a side of the oil fill tube.
 6. The oil fill tube and positive crankcase ventilation oil separator assembly according to claim 3, wherein the separator assembly is mounted to a side of the oil fill tube. 